Charity Received (29 page)

Now Zeke was really pissed. Though O’Malley hadn’t broken his skin, one of his favorite pieces of clothing was ruined, ripped from his right shoulder to his waist in four long lines. As he fumed, O’Malley drew his fist back, and the meaty appendage connected with Zeke’s stomach. He stumbled back. With a growl that sounded suspiciously like the shifter thought he had him, O’Malley came at Zeke.

The wolf swung his razor-sharp claws at him, but Zeke teleported out of range and reappeared behind the now confused shifter. With the dagger clutched in his fist, Zeke banded an arm around O’Malley’s chest and pressed the steel blade into the shifter’s throat. Immediately O’Malley stilled.

“I could kill you now. Just one little nudge of my elbow, and this blade would slice clean through your jugular.”

A shudder passed through the shifter’s body. “Then do it, but you won’t make it out of these woods alive.”

Zeke laughed. “You still don’t get it. There is nothing your wolves can do to me. I’d just disappear. It’s that simple.” He paused a moment, allowing his words to sink in.

“What are you?”

All boastfulness had disappeared, and O’Malley’s voice was filled with fear. Zeke released the male and slid the knife back into his pants. “Doesn’t matter. What does is I have something of yours, and in exchange for your help, I’m willing to give him back.”

O’Malley was about to lunge at him again but stopped himself almost as soon as he’d begun to move. “What have you done to my brother?”

“Nothing. Yet.” Zeke pinned the shifter with a piercing glare while waiting for his response.

O’Malley clenched his fists tightly at his sides but otherwise seemed to control his rage. “What do you want?”

“The same thing you do. I want to know who’s controlling your wolves, and the only way I can do so is if one of them gives me the information I need.”

“And what do you plan to do with this information?” O’Malley snapped.

Zeke turned his back on the shifter, and his gaze met Arak’s. Then, casting a hard look over his shoulder, he stated roughly, “I’m going to find the bastard and kill him.” Without waiting for a response, he began the trek back to the car, Arak falling in line next to him.

“Enjoy yourself?”

Zeke frowned at Arak. “Not nearly. If only I hadn’t vowed to not harm the innocent, I would have actually used the dagger.
Then
I would have enjoyed myself.”

The car was in sight when he sensed Arak’s slight hesitation. Zeke looked sideways, arching a brow.

“You think he’ll follow?” Arak asked as he glanced behind them, looking for a glimpse of O’Malley.

“If the wolf we have is truly his brother, yeah.” Zeke fished the keys out of his pocket and dangled them from his finger. With exaggerated slowness, he set about unlocking the doors. He’d almost given up hope when a sound in the distance caught his attention. It sounded like one of those crotch rockets Kash was so found of.

It wasn’t long before six motorcycles appeared, O’Malley at the helm of one. As he pulled the helmet off, his eyes locked on to Zeke.

“If you’ve lied to me…” the shifter threatened.

“You’ll what?” Zeke questioned, his tone mocking. He thought he’d already proved O’Malley was a useless waste of air.

“You might be able to get the best of me, but there is one even
you
are not strong enough to defy. If you have harmed Trent or think to fuck with me, he will rain down on your ass and exact revenge on my behalf.”

“Yes…Malachi,” Zeke murmured, referring to one of the Principals, the sector of angels whose sole responsibility was to control the many paranormal species. “I quake in fear. And when this is over, you can tell him Ezekeel said to kiss my ass.”

Zeke flashed him a cold smile even while knowing Remy would be wiping O’Malley’s mind of any memory of them. There was no way the shifter would be allowed to leave the abbey with it intact. But Zeke would have loved to have seen the angel’s face when he received such a message. It would have made his day. No, his century.

Fingers traveled in lazy circles on the center of her back, and Charity found herself arching into the caress. She smiled against his chest and began placing light kisses across his skin. Kash had spent hours worshipping her body, to the point where she had gone to sleep feeling like a limp noodle. Now she intended to return the favor.

As she moved slowly downward, he groaned softly.

“Oh chérie. What I wouldn’t give to have your lips wrapped around me, pleasuring me.” Charity cocked her head at the wistfulness she heard in his tone. “But Zeke has returned with O’Malley.”

Charity stiffened and pulled back. Kash tried to keep her in his arms, but she rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed. She shouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know something needed to be done with the male Zeke and Arak had captured. But she had held a lingering hope she wouldn’t have to be involved.

Wrapping the blanket tightly around her, she glanced over her shoulder. “What does that have to do with me…us?”

Kash reached out and brushed his fingertips across the skin left exposed along her upper back. He followed the shivers his touch produced with his lips, then wrapped her in his embrace. “Since you cannot communicate with the wolf, I guess nothing, really. But Remy would appreciate your opinion on the matter.”

With a snort, Charity moved to stand, struggling against his hold, but Kash wouldn’t release her. “And he trusts me? I am not that naive.”

“Chérie, you are my mate. If you deceive Remy or any of my brethren, you only harm yourself and our child.” Kash slid his hand under the blanket and caressed her abdomen gently, and with a sigh, Charity collapsed against his chest. “You wouldn’t do something so asinine.” His voice was filled with conviction, lacking any hint of hesitation. Charity allowed him to turn her in his embrace. As she buried her face in his neck, he chuckled softly. “And apparently O’Malley has come to the conclusion that we are a nest of vampires.”

Charity nodded. “I’m not totally surprised he’d come to that conclusion. To a shifter, you guys smell really old, and besides the fae, who rarely ever leave Faerie, vampires are some of the oldest species.”

“Interesting,” Kash murmured, his tone contemplative. “Not that he will remember anything about us once he has left the abbey. Remy will wipe all traces of us from his mind.”

“Remy has that kind of power?” His statement frankly stunned Charity and filled her with trepidation.

“Yes. He has the ability to manipulate the mind of any earthbound being.”

“Including you?”

Kash lifted her chin to force her gaze to meet his. He must have sensed the unease rolling from her in waves, for he smiled gently, his thumbs trailing lightly across her cheeks. “To some extent, yes. But can he wipe away my memories? I don’t know.

He’s never tried.”

She realized he hadn’t said he’d never been the recipient of Remy’s mind control.

“How can he control you, then?” she demanded quietly.

“At one time or another, Remy has used his gift on each of us. It’s always been when he thought we were acting irrationally and needed to listen to reason.” He paused a brief moment, his grin widening. “Actually, I’ve been the lucky recipient only once. It was right after you and I had mated. I tried to rush after you, but Remy stopped me.”

“Why?” she asked, more than just for curiosity’s sake. What if Remy didn’t approve of her mating with Kash?

“He didn’t understand why you had bitten me and was worried you were suffering from whatever is plaguing these other wolves. I had to assure him you weren’t infected.”

She considered Kash’s words but found little reassurance in them. Remy had used his power to keep Kash from chasing after a perceived threat. But it was all based on Remy’s perceptions, Remy’s beliefs. And Remy had been wrong about her. “That doesn’t bother you?”

“At the time, hell yeah. I wanted to tear Remy apart with my bare hands. But I do understand.” Kash rested his forehead against hers. “These are difficult times, chérie. We’ve never been in a position where we’ve had to hunt one of our own for crimes against us and our mates. Remy is only doing what he feels necessary so that what happened to Caym doesn’t occur again.”

With a tilt of her head, Charity conceded Kash’s point. She knew that all the brethren were worried about the threat Raym posed. But still, she couldn’t help thinking Remy’s power was dangerous. He was capable of controlling their lives all on the basis of what he believed to be good or bad.

“Come. Let’s go take care of O’Malley, then you’ll never have to lay eyes on the male again.”

With a snort of disbelief, she stood, dragging the blanket still wrapped around her torso with her. “Promises, promises,” she mumbled as she stalked into the bathroom.

Kash waited until she had closed the door, then released a soft chuckle. His mate was a handful. A delectable delight he wouldn’t trade for anything, but still one who would keep him on his toes. And Christ, but he loved her more than he had ever imagined possible.

“We will join you in thirty,”
Kash answered to the silent call he’d received from Remy only moments before.

“We need you now.”

He rolled his eyes.
“My mate needs a little incentive. So you can either wait thirty
minutes, or just do what you can without us. Charity is not real eager to be in the
same room as O’Malley.”
Then, without waiting for a response, he closed his mind to his brethren and followed his mate into the bathroom. It hadn’t taken Kash long to discover that when his mate was sated, she was much more pliable. He might be a male, but he wasn’t a complete moron. He would use whatever was available to make this encounter easier on everyone. And he would enjoy gaining Charity’s compliance—every single toe-curling second.

* * *

Charity didn’t know how Kash had managed it, but she found herself traveling across the courtyard toward the outcropping of buildings, one of which housed the captured wolf. With a furrowed brow, she decided she’d have to keep a closer eye on her mate. He was a tricky bastard. Just how he’d convinced her this would be a good idea, she wasn’t certain. But she’d figure it out.

“Awww, don’t pout, chérie,” he teased as if sensing her disgruntlement and wrapped an arm loosely around her waist. “Is that any way to treat your mate? I only have your best interests at heart.”

She scowled at him. “Sex,” she blurted out accusingly. “Not when you use sex against me.”

Kash forced her to stop and cupped her cheek to lift her face to his. “And how did I do that, Charity?” he asked quietly.

“You knew I didn’t want to have anything to do with O’Malley or the wolf, so you joined me in the shower to get me to agree to come.”

With a sigh, Kash pulled her farther into his embrace. “So you’re saying you would not have come even though Remy requested your presence and your help.”

“More like demanded,” she mumbled, jerking her chin from his grasp and glancing away.

“So the only reason you’re here right now is because we made love in the shower.

Otherwise, you would have remained in our rooms. Is that what you’re saying, Charity?”

“No.”

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

The teasing had returned to Kash’s tone, and Charity frowned at him. “Don’t be a smart-ass. You heard me just fine. And the answer is no. I would have come.”

“So then exactly what am I being accused of? Is making love to my mate a crime now?”

“You know that’s not what I meant, Kash. You are being purposely obtuse.”

Kash smiled down at her. “No. Explain this to me. I’m confused. Do you or do you not wish to make love?”

She frowned once again as she forgot her original thought. He was intentionally confusing her and doing a damn fine job of it. “Don’t use sex against me.”

Kash grew solemn as he observed her quietly. “There will never be a ‘me against you’ situation, Charity,” he stated softly. “Everything I do, I do for you. If making love beforehand helps you deal with things like this, then I will use that to my advantage. For you. If you’re calm, you won’t feel the need to shift. And in turn, our child will remain safe. Every thought, every action is for you and our child. Never doubt that.”

Charity considered his words as regret filled her. She rested her head on his shoulder, unable to meet his gaze any longer. “I’m sorry for being such an ass, Kash.”

“It will take time, chérie. We’ll get the hang of this eventually.”

Charity closed her eyes, his warm breath tickling her ear as she attempted to follow the invisible ties of the bond back to Kash. He seemed to have such an easy time seeing into her. But she, the one who should have this whole mating thing ingrained into her DNA, found it difficult. He was there; she always felt his presence like an invisible cloak. But the connection should have been deeper than that. And for Charity, it wasn’t.

No luck. With a sigh, she opened her eyes.

Kash forced her head from his shoulder and pinned her with his gaze. “It will come.

Eventually. I have mastered the technique with my brothers, and that’s why I don’t find it so difficult. And maybe if you had grown up in a real pack, you wouldn’t be having these difficulties either. Maybe if your mother had done her job, you wouldn’t have these insecurities. She might not have thought you good enough for her, but I think you’re perfect in every way, my beautiful little wolf.”

Tears threatened to spill over her lashes, and Charity burrowed her face in his neck.

“You can’t just do that, Kash. You can’t make me cry in front of your brothers. Zeke would never let me live it down.”

Chuckling softly, he replied, “I will strive not to embarrass you in public.”

Charity rubbed her eyes on his T-shirt, letting the moisture absorb into the cotton.

Then she pulled back and smiled weakly. “Let’s get this over with.”

With a great deal of disappointment, Charity found more than just O’Malley, Remy, and the wolf occupying the room. All the brothers—minus Levi and their sister Penny—had turned out to watch, and as she and Kash entered, they became the focus of attention. Charity stopped short, and Kash bumped into her back. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Remy didn’t attempt to hide his impatience, though his frown was directed solely at Kash.